Longitudinal Changes in Patient-reported Dyspnea in Patients with COPD

AbstractBackground: Although guidelines recommend monitoring symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there is limited information on the longitudinal changes in patient-reported dyspnea (PRD) related to activities of daily living. The hypothesis was that PRD scores on the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale, the self-administered computerized (SAC) transition dyspnea index (TDI), and the University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath questionnaire (UCSD SOBQ) would demonstrate progression over two years. Methods: Observational cohort study of symptomatic patients with stable COPD evaluated every 6 months for 2 years. Patients rated the impact of activities of daily living on dyspnea using three patient-reported instruments presented in random order, and then performed post-bronchodilator (pBD) spirometry. Results: Seventy patients (37 female/33 male; age: 66 ± 9 years; and pBD forced expiratory volume in one second [(FEV1): 51 ± 16% predicted] participate...